Maya Mountain Research Farm

Project Type

Project Summary

Maya Mountain Research Farm is a well established permaculture project with over 24 years worth of work. We offer an excellent opportunity to plug into an ongoing experiment in agroforestry, permaculture and renewable energy.

Project Description

Maya Mountain Research Farm was founded in 1988 and is one of the oldest Central American permaculture projects. MMRF is located two miles up river from the predominantly Kekchi Maya village of San Pedro Columbia. Spread over the ruins of a classic period Maya site of the greater Lubantuun urban center, the farm is located on 70 acres of land. Access to the property is only through the river, by dug out canoe, or by trail.

We manage over 500 species of plants at MMRF, and have over 20 acres of land under management, expanding at the peripephery. Much of the cultivated land was severely damaged cattle and citrus land. We have used permaculture practices ro repair that land.

We raise pigs, chickens, ducks, and plan to raise sheep and goats. We also have a developing aquaponics system.

We have several acres of cacao dominated agroforestry system, mostly on a south facing ridge, adjacent to the river. In the agroforestry system, we have timber trees, leguminous trees, fruit trees, medicinal plants, herbaceous perrenials, and crops like coffee and cacao.

MMRF has 24 beds for students, and is an ideal place to take a PDC, or to intern. The farm is a working example of many permaculture practices and is the result of decades worth of design work.

We also work with other NGOs to bring photovoltaic technology to remote areas, focusing on lighting for schhols and village level water systems. Presently we have done three schools, and have two more we are doing, mostly in Toledo District. We will be working on them in June. After that, we will be working on a small busget system for a computer lab for another school.

Updates

This will be our 9th Annual Permaculture Design Course. MMRF has been managed to agroforestry over the last 25 years and is one of the oldest permaculture projects in Central America. Come take a PDC with great teachers at a very well established permacul

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